


2:19

by brandywine421



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Families of Choice, Fluff, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:40:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: Fuck her life.Of course he wouldn't answer the door and of course the neighbor that peeked out to harass her for making the dogs bark wouldn't speak English.  Of course.But she didn't think Frank would ghost her when she'd talked to him a few days ago and had photographic proof that he was making arrangements.He promised if she put in the work that he would help her - just like she promised the same for him and tracked his non-burner phone to make sure he really went to work instead of starting gunfights in metropolitan areas.The tracker was pinging here, in Hell's Kitchen next to a billboard that lit up the street more than the flickering streetlights.God, she hoped he wasn't in trouble so she could yell at him.  She had planned a hug and everything for the gruff bastard.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock
Comments: 36
Kudos: 172





	1. Chapter 1

She shoved a handful of cash at the cab driver, ignoring his muttering complaints at having to count it. She didn't have time for his annoyance, she just needed him to leave.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to be in this position again - but hell, what did she expect? 

Getting into college was supposed to be the hard part - moving back to the city was supposed to be the easy part because she had Frank - but easy wasn't a thing that happened for her ever, was it?

Fuck her life. 

Of course he wouldn't answer the door and of course the neighbor that peeked out to harass her for making the dogs bark wouldn't speak English. Of course.

But she didn't think Frank would ghost her when she'd talked to him a few days ago and had photographic proof that he was making arrangements.

He promised if she put in the work that he would help her - just like she promised the same for him and tracked his non-burner phone to make sure he really went to work instead of starting gunfights in metropolitan areas.

The tracker was pinging here, in Hell's Kitchen next to a billboard that lit up the street more than the flickering streetlights.

God, she hoped he wasn't in trouble so she could yell at him. She had planned a hug and everything for the gruff bastard.

She'd barely reached the top floor with her overweighted bag before the door swung open and a guy in sweats with crazy eyes was boggling at her.

"Uh, hey. Is Pete here?" Dropping the fake name should win her some points, right?

He paused, failing at making eye contact long enough for her to catch on that he was blind. "Parker or - "

"Sorry, shit, what's his last name - Castlio- "

"Get in," the guy barked and she found herself following instructions without needing a repeat.

She immediately regretted the impulse in the dim, sparse apartment. She didn't even know this guy - 

"Amy? What are you doing here?"

She snapped around and recognized Karen, Frank's 'not-girlfriend' and it all made sense. Sort of - the blind dude was a wild card. "Looking for Frank, I was supposed to meet him and - I tracked his phone here," she said, holding up her own.

Karen turned to the blind guy who frowned and shuffled into the back. "You're starting college soon, aren't you? He's been talking about it for months," she said.

"So he's not ghosting me but he's not here? Is this your place?"

Karen snorted. "No, Matt and I were going over some notes for a case."

Amy studied the apartment now she had a friendlier face. One of the spray-painted Punisher vests hung from the rack in the hall and there was a slightly chewed pet bowl stuffed in a box filled with bullet belts and a few gun barrels.

Not Karen's place, huh?

Matt returned, sweats exchanged for impressively fitting black pants and underarmor, dangling Frank's battered 'forever phone'. "Is his truck here?"

Karen went to the window and peered through the distorted glass. "Yep."

"He left a few days ago, had a lot of stuff to get done before you got here," Matt frowned. "I'll check it out."

She opened her mouth to question exactly what the fuck he was going to do about it, but he wrapped a scrap of cloth around his eyes and she closed her mouth.

Karen turned to her when Daredevil had left the building with a bright smile. "So, are you excited about college?"

* * *

She managed to relax after a couple of rounds of gin rummy and ginger ale and decided to bite the bullet and dig for the scoop.

"I did not know Frank had a boyfriend," Amy whispered in case Matt was listening like a creeper. Karen was totally helpful warning her about the 'incidental eavesdropping' that had to be accepted if making friends with Matt.

"Oh, watch that word, sends both of them into an existential crisis," Karen said, setting the mug of coffee down with a muted clink. "They don't talk about it, there's a certain - history between them."

"I'm beginning to figure that out," she sighed. "I didn't know - "

"Of course not, Frank and Matt would burst into flames before they would admit they're seeing each other," Karen laughed. "Not because they're in the closet, more because their enemies would see targets."

"That sounds like bullshit," she considered.

"Right on, but it's not our place to judge - where they can hear us, anyway."

On cue, the roof door banged open and Matt staggered into view with blood smeared down his face and his mask pushed back to his hairline. "Karen - how bad's my face? Foggy's going to make disappointed noises at me, isn't he?"

"Did you find - " Amy interrupted but she spotted Frank sprawled across the top stair leading to the roof.

"Aw hell, what day is it?" Frank groaned when she scrambled up to him.

"You asshole," she hissed, taking in his bruised face and bloody clothes. So much for a safe haven in any storm - Frank was the fucking storm.

Was this the future she'd chosen? College by day and avoiding gunfights at night?

She shook off her regrets for the moment to take in her friend. "Are you all right? What kind of trouble are you in now?"

"I'm alright, Red doesn't let me use guns and didn't take my cuffs off 'til we were half out," Frank said, accepting her help to drag himself to his feet.

"Don't carry handcuff keys on me, should've left you there to whine. Put him over there, I've got the first aid kit."

Amy waited for Karen to intervene instead of letting the blind guy take the lead but the woman only rolled her eyes and directed her to the bathroom. "They do this all the time, it's not worth the stress or the laundry to argue about it," Karen said, watching Matt break out a sewing kit.

"Thank you for all your suffering, Karen, you are my favorite friend and I love you," Matt said, angling his chin. Karen sighed and kissed his cheek.

"We'll get the icepacks and start a new pot of coffee, come on, Amy."

* * *

After her anxiety-filled arrival and awkward intrusion into blind stranger's homes - the aftermath turned out to be anticlimactic. It was almost perfect.

"Can't believe you took a job when you had a minion coming into town," Karen teased, kicking at Frank's socked feet on the coffee table around their collected mugs of forced decaf. 

"To be fair, it wasn't completely his fault," Matt said, icepack against his cheek.

"What were you chasing, Frank?" Karen asked, getting to her feet. She gathered her jacket and bag but didn't step into her heels yet so she was hopefully hanging out for a bit longer while Amy parsed her way through this.

"Found out who's hijacking the fig shipments and it was a bigger operation than I thought. Called the Feds on the walk over," Frank said.

Amy blinked at him. "Wait, figs? You - figs?"

"Got a recipe for feta-filled figs and - " Frank mumbled.

"The texture's going to be - " Matt interrupted.

"Shut up 'til you try it, you always hate on the recipes before you try them - "

Amy looked at Karen with wide eyes, pressing her hand over her heart. Karen nodded, making the <3 with her hands in commiseration. They were adorable. Assholes, but adorable. 

"I'm not on the job anymore, Amy," Frank said, meeting her gaze with dark eyes. "But the farmer's market - didn't think it would turn into a mission - 'specially not one like this."

Matt lowered the ice and frowned. "I'll walk you home, Karen, somebody's breaking into the pawn shop."

"I will call the police and you will stay and keep the ice on your face. You have court at ten if the state's witnesses show up this time and you've been looking forward to interrogating them for weeks."

Matt's face went lax for a moment, lost in thought. "Manipulative lying bastards - "

"Yes, yes, I know, walk me downstairs while I call in the pawn shop and then you can entertain your guests like a functional adult, okay?" Karen said, winking at Amy and pressing a chaste kiss to Frank's forehead. "I have fig questions, call me later and be nice to the kid. She'll need you in top shape to move her into the dorm."

As if she could afford full time tuition to earn a dorm room. She had hoped for a bed in Frank's garage or something - maybe just a closet to fill with her stuff. 

"I know I messed up, but - hear me out," Frank said, pushing himself into a sitting position with his hand across his patched chest. "I found you a place to sublet within walking distance of campus. Red says it's in a decent neighborhood and as long as you pay in cash, they won't hassle us about a credit record."

Wait, what?

"Had all the guys working on filling it with furniture on the cheap, got a brand new bed from one of Madani's raids, just had to let them keep the mattress full of cocaine," he added under his breath. "Wanted to give you a better shot in New York this time."

"But you got swept up in a fig caper instead, come on, man," she huffed, pulling him into a hug. "You're such a fuck up."

"Sure, but - surprise?"

"Fine, forgiven, but I need to see this place stat. Was it too much to ask for just a couch to crash on?" she asked, releasing him.

He avoided her gaze. "Might have some puppies staying with me right now, and a friend that sneaks in sometimes, didn't want to mess up your style. 

"Puppies?" Amy asked, not bringing up the 'sneaky friend' part just quite yet.

"Yes, tell her about the puppies, Frank," Matt said, locking the bolts behind him as he returned.

"Never ask a blind man to feed the dogs, Amy, he swears I'm starving them - guy knows shit about dogs, they're fat as fuck because he keeps bringing them table scraps - "

Matt patted Frank's head with a half-smile. "Amy, it was nice to meet you and I hope to talk to you under better circumstances later. Lock up if you leave, or else I'll see you in the morning. Need to be at the office early."

"Did you - "

"I walked the big one and paid Carlos to walk the little ones for the rest of the week, his rates are a little high but - until they learn their own names, I can't with the puppies," Matt said, giving a final wave before closing the bedroom door panel.

"He sees with his ears, can't track all the puppies," Frank explained. "It's - it wasn't supposed to be a thing but - figs and immaculate conception and - "

" _Oh my God, your dog was not a virgin, she was unspayed, you loser_ ," Matt called from the other room and Amy had to cover her laugh with a cough at Frank's disgruntled expression.

She realized that while this wasn't what she expected at all - this was better. Frank was still a badass vengeance dude when someone threatened stuff he cared about - figs - but he was a soft prickly cinnamon roll that would defend his dog's virtue with blasphemy banter.

"I'm glad you're okay, but no more missions until I make it through orientation," she said.

"Deal," he smiled through his busted lip. "You want to head back to my place before dawn or - "

"I'm exhausted and don't want to sleep in the chair if you're going to sneak into the back room as soon as I pass out," she admitted. "Pretend to go to the bathroom and I'll see you in the morning when you make me breakfast with those figs Matt hid in the breadbox."

He chuckled as he gingerly got to his feet. He passed her a throw blanket and slipped quietly into the back.

She was going to tease him forever.

* * *

_On the train you get smaller_  
_As you get farther away_  
_The roar covers everything_  
_You wanted to say_

_Was that a raindrop in  
The corner of your eye  
Were you drying your nails  
Or waving goodbye_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- title and tag belong to Tom Waits.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, dude, that's a lot of puppies," Amy blinked when the flood of adorable but deafening baby dogs assaulted them in the den.

"I don't know how she managed to have so many at once but I've got homes for six of them and figure if I tell Matt you want one, he'll let me keep at least one of the little ones," Frank said, blanching when he realized what he said.

"God, at least we're not tiptoeing around it, but wow, you're whipped if you're letting your crush dictate your decisions."

He paused, then shrugged. "Maybe. But we were doing pretty well until the unplanned pregnancy went down. Maxie loves him, she's been moping more than I have since he stopped coming by. This was a quiet spot for him that suddenly got too loud, I don't like that."

That was deeper than she meant to push but she was even more intrigued. "So, boyfriend?"

"He was my lawyer once, and I tried to kill him a few times - so it's complicated, but he's a good friend that nobody needs to know about," Frank replied. "I didn't intend for you to meet him yet."

"Oh. Why?"

Frank waved his hands distractedly as he moved boxes aside for her to find a seat. "Gotta keep some things off the grid. He's not giving up his vigilante crusade any time soon and I'm - really trying to stay out of the game. He found his ma a couple of years ago, guards that women like a bouncer to keep her face and name unaffiliated with his night gig. Wanted you to get to know him as a fancy lawyer with life goals before you met the man in the mask."

She rolled her eyes and carried her puppy of choice to the cleared couch. "I don't know, probably would've tried to pick his pocket if you brought him over as a fancy lawyer."

"True, but none of that matters now because you're here for college and there are tons of loose ends you need to tie up before you start getting all up in my business," Frank announced.

"What kind of loose ends?" she asked suspiciously.

"Take a shower and we'll go see your place - give me time to settle up the pups and clean up," Frank said. "My friend Sarah wants to meet you and harass me about decorating."

"Her daughter's a senior this year, isn't she? Am I her trial run?" She didn't want that at all.

"Not so much, Leo's been doing summer programs for years, more like she doesn't trust my and Curt's taste," Frank frowned. 

"Oh, then I definitely want to meet her," she agreed. Maybe she could be excited about this now - maybe people wouldn't be out for her blood if she kept her head down and tried to be a student now. Hell, maybe she'd even learn something.

Maybe school would turn out to be her thing.

Probably not, but maybe?  
  


* * *

  
The apartment was small and only had one window, a mini-fridge and a microwave but the price and location made it 'not' a dorm room and perfect for a possible minimum wage pay college student.

It was hers. She wasn't living off someone else's charity, or stealing to keep herself in nice clothes - she had earned the tuition and the start up cash that her 'life consultant' had requested and this was her place.

Fuck all the people that said she was dumb for choosing The Punisher as a life consultant, he had already kept her alive and safe longer than her real parents.

"Did you meet the boyfriend?" Sarah whispered at her when Frank was emptying her trunk of supplies.

She grinned and the woman looked ready to burst with restrained questions. "I have no idea what you're talking about, and it's rude to out people."

"Stop, my husband outed him ages ago - ruined Frank's whole "don't have a 'girlfriend'" excuse when we harass him at dinners - you are coming to weekly dinners, right? It took so long to get Frank to commit, don't ruin this for us," Sarah warned.

"Weekly dinner? Sure, if he wants me there, but - "

She shook her head. "No buts, family's hard to come by and when we find it, we keep it so you're coming, he can fill you in. It'll save you tons of money if you just mooch off Frank's fridge, he always buys too many groceries - we think his boyfriend has an eating disorder because - "

" _Sarah!_ " Frank scolded and the woman winced with rosy amused cheeks. "Come on, don't get her on the gossip wagon."

"Seemed pretty healthy to me, picky eater, though," Amy confided, ignoring Frank's betrayed glare considering the shared fondness he had with Sarah. They were both on to Frank's marshmallow filling.

"Please stop gossiping about my love life and start talking about part time jobs and library cards," Frank warned.

"Bartender?" Amy suggested. Frank made a face.

"Maybe barista," Sarah replied.

"I fail at waitressing," she admitted. "And hostessing. And barista-ing. But I am a cute bartender, and good at opening beer bottles."

"Maybe Frank's ex-reporter friend could use some help around her office," Sarah said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Subway doesn't go to Hell's Kitchen, won't be safe for her to walk that far on her own," Frank said as if Amy wasn't nineteen years old and capable of going wherever the fuck she wanted.

"I'm having a relatively good day so far so I'm not going to start an argument, but I'll handle my own job prospects, thank you," Amy decided. "Karen already offered but I don't know the neighborhood or the campus well enough to commit. Plus, a law office might not fit with my moral code, you know?"

"True, but it might pay better until you find something you like, I mean, more local," Sarah said, getting clipped by Frank's disapproving glare but giving Amy a thumb's up in solidarity. "Zack can help you set up a babysitter profile if - "

"Ew, kids, gross, I'll dog-sit Frank's monsters before I get that desperate, but I appreciate the offer."  
  


* * *

  
She went to a whole week of classes before deciding she still hated school and life and the world and everything about New York. She should have stayed in Florida with her gap-tooth boyfriend who kept her fridge full of wine coolers and backyard weed.

But she didn't have a cozy apartment of her own and a recovering mass murderer to make her dinner on nights when she hated everything in Florida.

She possibly took advantage of the fluffy bastard so she could have free cuddles with the puppies and his fridge but they were finding a symbiosis. Frank needed company, more than canine considering his day job was at the Humane Society.

She figured penance was another one of those 'unspoken' things Frank was trying out - he wouldn't talk about it but she really wanted to ask how many volunteer hours it would take to pay his kind of tally forward.

Dinner with the Liebermans was fun, but she and Frank both treated it like 'good behavior' time but she liked Leo and her kid brother well enough to shit-text them regularly.

She liked the rowdy dinner with Frank and his dogs, too, but she had no shame admitting she liked visiting Frank when Matt turned up before or during his Daredevil patrols.

Much like the locals, she found herself obsessively following the red and black clad (varying by mood or laundry) vigilante via the fan blogs and caught Frank checking them on his beat up laptop, too, since Matt gave zero fucks about his reputation as long as he wasn't getting arrested. But Queens lost their vigilante to superhero jail, Trish Walker turned Hellcat into a bad guy instead of a role model and Daredevil was one of the few consistent heroes left for local problems and he took his job damned seriously. She'd seen him drop a taco in a blink after he'd spend ten minutes building it because he heard a scream six blocks away - he was dedicated as fuck.

She liked the guy, liked the effect he had on Frank and she definitely liked that she got to hang out with him when Frank kept his other friends in the dark. Amy understood games and wanted to see how long they could pretend it was a secret before someone caved - she and Karen had their money on Frank.

"I know you don't think I notice you sniffing that retriever at the dog park, but I see the way he looks at you, got pervert written all over his little floppy ears," Frank chattered to Maxie as she let herself in.

Maxie flopped her tail three times in greeting to her, yawned and turned her attention back to Frank at the stove stirring something he'd probably seen on Food Network and decided to make better. Matt must not be here yet if Maxie was calm, she definitely had a favorite.

The puppies were weaned and were being fostered since the landlord laid down the law and Frank was having separation anxiety more than mama dog, but Amy gave her plenty of pets anyway.

"So? Day five as a college freshman, how much do you hate it?" Frank asked, putting a bottle of the good juice in front of her.

"I'm a really bad student. I mean, worse than I remember," she admitted.

"But?"

"I'll automatically make more money if I stick it out for a degree, I know. I got three rejection letters from retail places today, expect the rest before the weekend's over," she said. "Savings should last me the month but I might have to suck up to Karen after all."

 _"Yuck, Karen has such questionable taste,_ " a female voice muttered from the open window. Maxie flopped her tail twice but didn't bark.

Frank sighed. "Are you joining us or just stalking your ex?"

_"He's on his way up, I believe he knows I'm here."_

The door opened and Matt tapped his way in with his red-tipped stick. "Elektra's on your fire escape," he said, looking frayed as Maxie enthusiastically scrambled across the room to greet him.

Amy didn't know all the details of The Punisher and Daredevil's epic backstories but she thought Elektra was Matt's late ex-girlfriend, not a model in leather and swords worthy of an Underworld movie.

"Don't let her rile you up, here, wash your hands and stir this," Frank said in a low voice, steering Matt away from the woman with a warning look toward her.

"I'm Amy, why are you being a creeper?" she asked pointedly.

"I apologize if that's how it seems. I just like to check on Matthew from time to time - "

"You call snooping around his boyfriend's house 'checking on' him?"

Elektra smiled as sharp as the swords on her back. "I see why Francis likes you," she said. "But I have a standing invitation to say hello if I'm not breaking any of Matthew's pesky rules."

Frank walked out of the kitchen, leaving Maxie in charge of Matt and frowned at the strange woman. "What's tonight to you? He's twitched out and he didn't bring his suit so wasn't planning on going out - "

"He also did not bring his phone," Elektra cut him off. "It's the anniversary of Midland Circle where we died together, it was almost glorious," she said primly. "Is that romesco sauce or - "

"Elektra," Matt said softly. She nodded to Frank and glided across the room to his side so he could wrap his arms around her.

"Sappy bastard, listen - my heart beats as strong and black as the coffee that fuels it, my death has never been on your hands, I can get myself killed and resurrected all by myself," Elektra said, turning his ear against her chest.

Frank rolled his eyes but Amy recognized his 'jaw clench of worry'.

"You're using that French shampoo again, those chemicals are shit for your hair," Matt said.

"You can't appreciate how great I look so you don't get to choose. Am I invited for dinner now that I've made your not-boyfriend jealous and been nice to his duckling?"

"Invitation rescinded for the hug," Frank said gruffly. And the 'niceness' was subjective.

"What are you doing here?" Matt asked.

"I expected to catch you punching away your feelings but you're still on this self-care kick so I came here instead," Elektra replied.

"Shit," Matt said suddenly, darting for the kitchen an instant before Maxie barked a warning.

"I'm not ordering pizza if you ruined my sauce, Harpy," Frank growled at her, following Matt into the kitchen.

Elektra turned to her with those sharp eyes. "Now, dear Amy, let's discuss your future plans. I'm sure I could pay you better than - "

 _"Leave her alone!"_ Frank called out.

"Sorry, trying to be legit these days," Amy said. 

"Boring," Elektra sighed.

"So are you another one of Matt's lost causes?" Amy whispered to her.

"Oh, I'd like to call myself his first," Elektra grinned.  
  


* * *

  
"I had no idea that your life would still be this exciting when you weren't killing people for sport, don't give me that look, you know what I mean," Amy said once Elektra was gone and Matt was napping with Maxie in the recliner.

"Yeah, me either. She's a wild card, that one," Frank grunted.

"What was with all the 'dead' stuff? Because she seemed pretty lively to me," Amy asked. "Don't want to spill any secrets I'm not supposed to."

"You mean Karen? Matt's friends know she's still around, might not know she still 'comes' around, though. Ninjas did some kind of magic, I don't know the details but - the heartbeat's new. Triggers the hell out of him," Frank added softly.

"Triggers? Like PTSD? He's got that, too?" 

"Don't we all?" Frank sighed.

"Hey, speaking of, I appreciate the lack of visible firearms when I come over."

Frank shrugged. "Lockbox, don't take 'em out unless I need 'em. Not even for figs."

* * *

_Say nothing of my fable, no_   
_What on earth is left to come_   
_Who's agonized and gnawed through it all_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyric tag belongs to Bon Iver


	3. Chapter 3

Amy steadied herself and immediately regretted it - she didn't need to be steady she was rock hard as a rule - right. This was cake compared to college and accidental espionage and Frank - this was just a temporary job in a law office.

Cake, sure.

She pushed open the door and was immediately blasted with yips and barks - familiar ones.

_"Dammit, Matt!"_

Karen hurried into the lobby as Amy scooped up the chubby puppy bounding across the shiny hardwood floors. "Hey, is that Polo?"

 _"Marco!"_ Matt's voice called from another doorway. _"Hi, Amy!"_

"Bark!"

_"We're running a business here, can I get some quiet!"_

_"Marco!"_

"Bark!"

Karen gave her an apologetic look and confiscated the puppy, lowering him back to the floor so he could hurry back into what she assumed was Matt's office. "Sorry. Matt's going to give him to Frank once he's trained and probably fat as fuck."

_"Stop fat-shaming the dog!"_

"Come on, I'll introduce you to Foggy - he's jealous of Polo and really bad at hiding it," Karen whispered.

"Is this my interview?" Amy whispered back.

"Interviews give me hives, you must be Amy, come, sit, gossip, Karen - you can go," the man behind the cluttered desk said.

He looked friendly but Frank had warned her. "Hi, nice to meet you?"

"Oh, she's polite, are you sure she's one of Castle's?" Foggy asked Karen.

"He saved my life a few times and turned me into a hard core pacifist, but I don't consider myself one of 'his'," Amy frowned.

Foggy's face lit up. "Pacifist means you're one of mine!"

Polo trotted into the office, wagging his tail enthusiastically with a folder tucked into the flap of his orange service vest that he hadn't been wearing earlier.

"Not going to work!" Foggy yelled, scooping up the dog for gratuitous, if silent, cuddles while Karen took the file with a sigh, glanced at the label and put it in one of his piles.

"You're not one of his either, you're my intern," Karen said. "Come on, Polo, let's show Amy where Matt's office is and then maybe the boys will be done harassing each other and we can discuss job duties."

She might actually enjoy a job for a change, hopefully more than classes.

* * *

Coffee, phones, filing and 'emotional support' seemed to be the basic gist of the job and considering only the first one was required she thought she could get the hang of it.

Foggy and Matt, combined, were more like brothers than she expected and Karen was the tie-breaking older sister and she found herself laughing more at their antics than at any of the parties she'd attempted with her sparse new college friends.

"Matt doesn't do 'happy' well, can't really handle it," Karen confided when the two men were arguing over the coffee budget in the conference room. "Foggy's been hassling him about getting a dog since they met in college and he really doesn't want Polo to go back to Frank when he makes Matt smile on a regular basis."

"Frank's been moping about the puppies for days," Amy admitted. "But the landlord - "

"Matt already bribed the landlord to let Frank keep one as long as it's trained," Foggy said, winking at her to announce his eavesdropping - polite compared to Matt.

"He should be able to have a relationship with his grand-pups if he wants," Matt said, shoving a handful of puppy treats toward the pudgy puppy.

Amy stopped him. "One at a time is fine, you're totally spoiling the dog. You are suspended."

He raised an eyebrow.

She took the bag of puppy treats. "Where's my desk? I'm taking responsibility for dog-handling when I'm here, you're on probation - you should have started with a goldfish, they'd be floating from over-eating overnight," she scolded.

"I could fire you - "

"You're also failing at hiding how lovesick you are if you're fostering a secret puppy even though you hate puppies - "

"I don't hate them - it took me forever to get used to Maxie and there were so many," Matt said dramatically. Foggy and Karen synchronized their eye rolls. 

"Smitten, totally inappropriate for the workplace," Foggy sighed.

"He got married six months ago, hasn't mentioned the wife since," Matt lied blatantly. There were pictures all over Foggy's office.

"Because we made a rule," Karen whispered. "Matt's just better at subterfuge."

"Lies because Matt got us a puppy, my plan is foolproof," Foggy whispered back, snatching the dog treats - and the dog - and hurrying back into his office.

* * *

She went to classes and tried to learn - taking the bullshit courses until she could level up into her chosen ones - but the more time she spent in auditoriums in a sea of nameless faces - the more she wanted to be chasing leads with Karen and buttering up witnesses with Foggy. 

Frank accused her of 'wilting' and took her to the farmer's market to flirt with the cute beekeeper but it wasn't as much fun as she wanted it to be - even if he let her hold Maxie's leash so he could question the lady at the fig stand.

Maxie vibrated away from her, tugging on the leash and she spotted Matt, Polo and a guy her age she didn't recognize.

A mystery, yay! She weaved through the sparse lines of customers and stopped in front of them, appreciating the stranger's curious expression. He was cute and Matt was holding out.

"What are you doing here, I thought you got your groceries delivered?" Amy asked, smiling as Maxie showered Polo with attention. 

"I have layers, you don't know my life," Matt sniffed. He tilted his head toward his friend. "Harley, this is Amy, Karen's overenthusiastic intern."

Harley clutched his hand to his chest, feigning offense. "You said you guys weren't hiring!"

"You're a science major and you're getting volunteer credits for helping the old blind guy already," Matt frowned. "Please tell me you're not here for figs, Amy."

"Wait, you know his secret boyfriend with artisnal tastes?" Harley asked, lighting up with mischief.

"We have to hide Polo," Matt flinched suddenly. "It's a surprise - "

"Yeah, he'd totally make a scene if he found out you got him a puppy, probably cry and everything," Amy said. Harley shifted the bags on his arm to get his phone ready to record.

Frank appeared with a bag of figs labeled with his name in sparkles and a befuddled expression. "Is that - Matt, did you get me a dog?"

"Of course not, I hate dogs. Did you get those figs for me?"

"Never, get your own figs," Frank said, dropping down to cuddle the surprise puppy.

"So, how do you know my new boss?" Amy asked, tuning out Frank and Matt's marshmallow mating ritual.

"He's my best friend's lawyer, that's totally the only reason I know him," Harley said but he was a shit liar.

"He's had plenty of clues, it's not my fault he won't admit it," Matt frowned.

"The point of a secret identity is that it's a secret, God, you and Peter are ridiculous," Harley sighed.

Frank stood up, Polo cradled in his arm while Maxie danced happily at his side. "I thought we scared you away."

"His mom sent him back," Matt said. "Polo's not trained yet."

"Marco," Harley said.

"Bark!"

"We will take over shopping duty while you find somewhere hidden to make out with your lawyer, you have fifteen minutes before we'll need attention," Amy told Frank, taking the bags and giving him Maxie's leash.

"She signed the NDA but she's been spending a lot of time with the pacifists," Matt told Harley before Frank dragged him away with the dogs.

"I've only known him a few months, but he's got it so bad," Harley said.

"I've known Frank a while and he's got it worse," Amy agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

She started feeling better about her classes once she spent some time with Harley, time that she definitely didn't tell Frank about. She was allowed her secrets.

He was much smarter than her, which she would never say out loud, and had a shitty life but would die to keep his mother safe, like a perfect rom com hero. 

She wanted to hate him and the way his eyes lit up when he was doing mental math or his arm swung out when a car passed them on the street too fast - but dammit - she had a crush.

"Absolutely do not tell Castle that I'm sitting for Polo," Harley said, shrugging the bag off his shoulder holding the excited puppy.

"Subway?"

"I hate the subway, Polo is totally a good support dog," Harley grinned as she scooped him out. "How are you?"

"Better now that the puppy's here, good idea bringing me a treat," she joked. "Why are you dog-sitting?"

"I don't know what I'm allowed to tell you, but I can't keep up with all the secrets all the time," he sighed, slumping down onto her couch.

She put out a bowl of water and the dog blanket (Polo loved napping) and waited for the scoop. "I'm pretty sure I know most of the secrets."

"It's Peter's first night out as Spider-Man since Matt got his charges dismissed."

Okay, wow. "Didn't know that."

"Frank thinks there's an age restriction on crime-fighting, but, like, it was different for Peter. Different for me," he added.

"You have to make more money before you can afford a fancy lab to make batarangs," she reminded him. He might be a genius, but they needed to work on his start-up capital. "And it's none of Frank's business what your friend does with his life. Matt wouldn't go along with it if he didn't trust him."

Harley smiled. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean everyone's not angsting about it. I have to dog-sit because Matt's being passive-aggressive about Frank and Peter's upset because Polo wasn't home when he came to the meet up. I don't mind hanging out with Polo, but - I guess I didn't expect to be riding the bench when Peter finally went out again."

"Did you help him before?"

He shook his head. "No, but - it's a whole thing. He's not using tech," Harley confessed. "It's one of the reason he wants Matt with him. Matt says he shouldn't depend on it when he's got enough skills without it - but Peter's got all this anxiety and grief over Tony - "

She squeezed his hand. "Hey. You're worried, that's cool. Do you want to watch the news and pull out the police scanner? Frank gave me one for Christmas."

"I'm supposed to be a normal, unaffiliated college student. I promised my mom," Harley sighed. "I'll set up the laptop."

"And I'll make popcorn," she decided.

She was totally a normal, unaffiliated college student, too.

"Whoa - who are you?" Harley called out before the popcorn bag had unfolded in the microwave. Polo didn't seem alarmed but she realized Elektra crawling through her tiny window would definitely cause alarm for most people.

"She's supposed to call first, but she's a polite acquaintance, right?" Amy reminded the woman.

"Of course, dear. Hello, Mr. Keener, it's nice to finally meet you. I thought I would drop in to reassure you that the task is progressing well, but Matthew was concerned for his dog's safety," Elektra said. She reached behind her for a large designer bag and offered Amy a bag of Cheetos and a six pack of beer.

"Best acquaintance ever, thank you," she said, taking her loot and leaving Elektra to her interrogation.

"Matt sent you to check on me? Come on," Harley protested.

"Well, no, he sent me to check on Polo in order to distract me from harassing Spider-Man, but I can keep a secret - considering the puppy is safe," Elektra said, pulling dog treats from her bag.

"He's on a diet, watch the portion size," Amy warned.

"Frank's grumbling about visitation but I caught him cheering on the Spiderling - they're showing off their acrobatics but won't let me play," Elektra pouted, flipping her hair.

"Aren't you wanted in, like, six countries?" Harley asked.

"Nine, working on a thing in Helsinki," she answered absently, tapping into her phone. "Do you have contraceptives and - "

"Thank you for stopping by, Elektra, now fuck off," Amy interrupted.

"I need a picture of the dog," she stalled, scooping up the dog and taking a selfie before blowing them individual kisses and climbing out of the window.

"If you're friends with Castle and the Black Sky, we might be on different sides," Harley said.

"And right when I was going to offer you a beer," Amy sighed. Defeated by morality yet again.

"Well, I'm sure there are gray areas."

* * *

Harley's phone lit up when they were halfway through a documentary about bears. He gave her an apologetic look and answered it. "Hey, what's wrong? Shit - really? Um, I'm not at my apartment but - of course the dog's with me - "

Amy's phone went off and she answered it despite her bubbling curiosity about his phone call. "Yeah?"

"Is Polo at your place?" Frank sighed.

"Maybe. Why?"

"Matt took a knife for that fucking kid and they're both freaking out because Polo's sitter wasn't home."

"Shit, is he all right?"

"He's fine, I'll sew him up in time for work tomorrow. Can I send Spider-Man to you?"

"Why, are you going to start a fight with Matt?" Amy frowned.

"No, we already did that, now it's make up time. Pete's bringing Maxie to your house. Under no circumstances should he tell his aunt what happened tonight - make it happen."

Ugh. "Fine, but you owe me."

"I owe you nothing."

She tossed the phone on the table and kicked Harley's shoe to catch his attention. "Tell your friend to hurry, I want to find out what happens to the bears before I have to entertain again."

"Oh. Sure," Harley said. "I'll text you the address, Peter, do what Matt says. We'll talk about it when you get here."

She didn't restart the movie. "What did he say happened?"

"Matt didn't like his downgraded armor, which I told him was going to happen, so he was wearing Matt's second layer. But Matt ended up getting cut and they both are angsting about it."

She sighed. "Karen warned me about that - vigilantes set their default to angst, okay. But I have a feeling that Frank's going to distract Matt with his dick and we're going to distract Peter with puppies and everything will be back to normal tomorrow."

"Please, never talk about Matt or Mr. Castle's dicks ever again," he winced.

She rolled her eyes. "You missed the point."

"No, I got it," he said. 

Peter Parker was a vibrating ball of nerves and nothing like Harley. She was glad she'd met the laid back half of the pair first. It took half an hour for him to settle with Polo in his lap and Max pinning his feet in place.

"Do you really think Matt was upset? Because he's always creepily cool when he's in the mask," Harley asked Peter.

"He laughed the whole time," Peter admitted. "Said he was proud of me, didn't tell me he got stabbed until after the cops had the guys carted off."

"Bastard," Amy huffed. "But he's the one that was sloppy and took the hit, should have been minding his own business. I mean, why do you need a ride-along?"

"Because I spent three months in jail for falling for an imposter?" Peter asked.

She couldn't picture him in jail.

"You just leveled up to superhero before pulling your time at street level, and you were probably traumatized like those astronauts," Amy decided.

"Right. The astronauts," Peter nodded blankly.

* * *

Frank and Matt turned up together the next morning to collect the pups. They didn't seem scandalized to find Harley and Peter asleep on her pull-out couch but were definitely disappointed in the garbage Maxie had destroyed to feed poor, starving Polo.

She poked at Matt's work suit while Frank started making pancakes. "You all right, old man? Heard you were slow last night." She adjusted his collar for the badly hidden hickies on his throat before he swatted her off.

Peter started to protest but Matt looped an arm around him and shook him roughly. "Good shit-talk, proud of you."

"But - "

"Put on your big boy panties and ask Harley to help you with the armor. It's not about the aerodynamics - you're fast and freaky without fancy spandex, but you're not bulletproof," Matt told him. "Those webs, man, did you see - "

Frank grunted. "Everybody saw your fancy tricks, asshole."

"Love those things, I mean, not as much as my batons but - thwip, thwip - so cool," Matt said, moving to help Harley make the bed.

"Don't trust those smart kids," Frank murmured to her when she went to grab a cup of coffee before anyone else. "But did you have fun?"

"Did you?" she hip checked him.

"Yeah. Hate to say it, but it was nice to have a night without the dogs around. Thanks for calming down Peter - I don't think scaring him was Matt's plan for last night."

"He's cool. Kinda high-strung for a superhero but nice kid," Amy shrugged. "Harley's more my speed."

"Oh yeah?"

"Shut up."


End file.
